Brooder heater



A ril 7, 1931. J. R. WILLIAMS BROODER HEATER Filed April 3. 1929 1| IHIIIIIHM l l m M u. w fl l nfl ,3 M ||11 a Q i\ s N\ v4 o k w II ill 1 N W% Patented i ipr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE JAMES RUSSELL WILLIAMS, 0F QUINCY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO K. I. SHEER COM- PANY, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS BROODEB HEATER Application filed A ril 3,

This invention relates to an improvement in brooder heaters.

Various methods have been developed for controlling the flow of liquid fuel or oil to the burner of a brooder, some of which have regulated this flow by thermostatic means while others have utilized float controls for maintaining an approximately uniform level of oil at the burner, in an effort to maintain an approximately uniform burning with a uniform temperature in the brooder.

Fuel reservoirs are frequently used, which are in the form of a receptacle, such as a bottle, with an open mouth adapted to be disposed within a holder or auxiliary receptacle in an inverted relation, so as to allow the oil to flow into the auxiliary receptacle up to the point of the mouth of the bottle.

By reason of the fact that the oil prevents any additional air from fiowin 1nto the bottle and seals over the mouth, this prevents any further discharge from the bottle or main receptacle until the burner has consumed an additional amount of oil so as to lower that oil level in the auxiliary receptacle to a point below the 0 en mouth.

Such an arrangement, w ile it maintains a uniform burning, is nevertheless undesirable under certain conditions, because it does not vary the burning according to changes in atmospheric conditions surrounding the brooder and which would therefore affect the brooder.

The object of this invention is to cause an automatic regulation of the oil level so as to raise or lower this oil level to increase and decrease the amount of heat generated by this burner, according to temperature changes in the brooder. In other words, a thermostatic control device is used to change the point of discharge from the main receptacle, either by raisingor lowerin it, so as to raise or lower the oil level in t e burner automatically, according to changes in temperature in the brooder.

The maintained oil level, as distinguished from the usual thermostatically controlled valve for regulating the flow of oil to the burner, is desirable because it maintains a uniform flow of oil to the burner regardless 1929. Serial No. 352,254.

of changes in the height of oil in the main receptacle, which often affects the flow of oil through a thermostatically controlled valve, and in that way the thermostatically controlled valve does not uniformly maintain the proper heating of the brooder.

The maintained oil level control maintains a uniform burning and a uniform flow of oil to the burner, regardless of any changes in the quantity of oil in the main receptacle, and, by the use of this invention, regulating the oil level in both the auxiliary receptacle and the burner. This automatically controls the heat in the brooder according to temperature changes. i

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing an application of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a slight modification.

The numeral 1 designates the usual canopy of a poultry brooder which is supported in any suitable manner, usually on legs so as to permit it to be moved whenever desired, which canopy encloses the brooding area or chamber, to which heat is supplied by the usual burner 2. This burner may be of any suitable construction and is well known in the art and need not be described in detail. Liquid fuel is supplied to the burner 2 through a suitable pipe 3 from an auxiliary receptacle 4.

As shown in Fig. 1, a main receptacle may be used in connection therewith in the form of a bottle 5, which is likewise well known in this type of reservoir, and which is usually closed except for the open mouth 6, which when the main receptacle or bottle 5 is disposed in operative position, it is lowered into the auxiliary receptacle 4, and the bottle is seated and usually supported on the auxil iary receptacle 4.

Heretofore, in this form of reservoir, after the bottle had been filled, it was inverted into the upper end of the auxiliary receptacle 4 and the liquid fuel flowed into the receptacle up to'the point of the dischargeopening in the mouth 6 of the bottle, and by sealing this mouth prevented any additional air from flowing into the bottle and likewise preventing the discharge of any additional amount of fuel until the oil level should be lowered by consumption to a point below the opening at the month.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, a collapsible and expansible cap 7 is screwed or otherwise placed over the mouthfi, which is provided at itslower end ,8 with a discharge opening,

- through which the oil is discharged from the bottle 5 intothe auxiliary receptacle 4. Connected with this'cap 7 andto cause a contraction or expansion thereof is a lever 9 pivoted as at 10 to a bracket 11, which bracket is secured to the side of the auxiliary receptacle 4 in the form shown in the drawings.

The bracket 11 and lever 9 extend laterally therefrom, preferably into the confines of the canopy 1 and at their inner ends have a wafer thermostat 12 of the usual form disposed therebetween, so that upon expansion and contraction of this thermostat, this causes a rocking of the lever 9 and either a collapsing or expanding of the cap 7, so as to raise or lower the openin Band likewise raise and lower the level 0 oil in the auxiliary receptacle 4. The disposition of the thermostat 12 within the brooder chamberxtherefore" Smce there is a maintained oil level in the burner 2 approximately equal to the oil level in the chamber 4, which is in open communication-therewith, this raising or lowering of the oil level in the latter will likewise raise or lower the oil levelin the burner and automatically increase or decrease the burning and the heat generated by the burner, accor'draismg and lowering the discharge opening ing to the temperature changes in the broodor chamber.

In the form shown in Fig. 2, the bottle 5 has the cap 7 secured to the mouth thereof but a second bellows type cap 13 is secured to the cap 7 by a flexible coupling designated generally by the numeral 14, and which may be of any suitable construction.

The bellows'13 has a flexible tube 15 extending therefrom, through which the oil or liquid fuel is conveyed and directed to be. discharged from the end 16 thereof into the auxiliary receptacle 4. The lever 9 in this form has the end thereof connected with the flexible tube 15 near the end 16, preferably, so as to raise and lower this tube and likewise the discharge end in order to raise and lower the oil level in the auxiliary receptacle 4, v

This arrangement has the advantages attendant upon a maintained oil level for the supply of fuel to the burner, but regulates this supply in addition by thermostatically 'mostatic control acts to raise and lower the actuated b the auxiliary receptacle, flexible means connected with the discharge opening of the main receptacle and having a discharge openingin the auxiliary receptacle for maintaining an oil level therein, and thermostatically controlled means connected with said flexible means for raising and lowering the discharge end thereof to regulate the height of the oil level according to temperature changes.

2. In a brooder, the combination of a portable canopy, a burner disposed therein, an auxiliary receptacle for supplying liquid fuel to the burner, a main receptacle disposed over the auxiliary receptacle and havin a dis-- charge opening only within the auxi iary receptacle and maintaining an oil level at said "discharge opening, a flexible device connected with the discharge openin for the main receptacle, and through whic the contents of the main receptacle are discharged into the auxiliary receptacle, said flexible device having the dischar e qpening thereof ca"- pable of being raise an lowered for varymg the maintained oil level, a bracket con nected with the auxiliary receptacle and extendin outwardly therefrom, a thermostat carrie by said bracket and dis osed within the confines of the canopy, and a ever pivoted to the bracket and disposed in position to be the thermostat and connected with the exible device for automatically of said flexible device according to temperature. changes in the canopy.

3; The combination with a font, a fluid reservoir having the dischar end thereof extending into the font, a flexible device connected with said discharge end and uid in the ont to the point of discharge of the flexible device, and means for automatically raising and lowering said point of discharge.

4. The combination with a font, a fluid reservoir ada ted to discharge into the font, a flexible device connected with the reservoir and through which said reservoir discharges into the font, said dischargebeing automatic upon the level of liquid in the font being lower than'the point of discharge from the flexible device, and means for automatically raisin andlowering the point of discharge of sai flexible device to raise or lower thelevel of liquid in the font.

5. The combination of a burner, an aux iliary receptacle for supplying fuel to the burner, a main receptacle for discharging into the auxiliary receptacle, flexible means connected with the discharge opening of the main receptacle, and having a discharge opening in the auxiliary receptacle for mains taining a liquid level therein, and thermostatic means connected with said flexible means for raising and lowering the discharge end thereof to regulate the liquid level in t e auxiliary receptacle according to temperature changes.

6. The combination of a font, a fluid reservoir adapted to discharge into the font, flexible means having a discharge 0 ening and'connected with sald reservoir, sai reservoir dischar ing through said openin into the font and fluid level in the font at said opening, and

means for automatically-raising or lowering the point of discharge into the font to vary the maintained fluid level in the font.

7 7 The combination of a font, a fluid reservoir adapted to discharge into the font, means having a discharge end capable of being raised orlowered and connected with and reservolr, said reservolr dlschargm into the font through said discharge en and maintaining an 011 level in the font at the discharge end, and thermostatically controlled means for raising or lowerin the dischar e end to varythe maintained 011 level in the out.

8. The combination of a font, a fluid reser- -voir arranged over the font to discharge thereinto, means connected with said reservoir and extendin into the font and through which saidreservolr discharges thereinto,sa1d

means having a discharge end ca able of bein raised and lowered within t e font and re ative to the reservoir and maintaining a fluid level in the font approximately at said opening, and means for raising and owering said int of discharge to vary the maintaine fluid level in the font.

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature.

JAME RUSSELL WILLIAMS.

automatically maintaining a a 

